Apparatus for treating fibrous material



Feb. 11, 1969 RUTTER 3,426,556

APPARATUS FOR TREATING FIBROUS MATERIAL Filed Junenfi, 1966 She et of 4 Feb. 11, 1969 K. RUTTER 3,426,556

APPARATUS FOR TREATING FIBROUS MATERIAL Filed June 5, 1966 Sheet .2 014 Feb. 11, 1969 K. RUTTER APPARATUS FOR TREATI [NG FIBROUS MATERIAL Sheet Filed June 5. 1966 F 1969 K. RUTTER 3,426,555

, APPARATUS FOR TREATING FIBROUS MATERIAL Filed June a, 1966 Sheet 4 of 4 United States Patent 23,814/65 US. Cl. 68-22 Int. Cl. D061? 45/28 8 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Fibrous material treating apparatus which has means for applying treating liquor to fibrous material, a permeable conveying means to convey the fibrous material past the treating liquor applying means, squeezing means to remove the excess treating liquor from the fibrous material, and chute means which extend between the liquor treatment and the squeezing means. In the past serious problems occurred because short fibers were not long enough to be caught between the squeezing means and thereby tended to form a blockage. This problem is overcome by providing -a means for directing a fluid flow through the permeable conveying means to transfer the fibrous material from the conveying means to the chute means, and a liquid supply means to provide a liquid flow along the chute means in order to convey the fibrous material to the squeezing means.

This invention relates to apparatus for treating fibrous material and is particularly but not exclusively concerned with apparatus for the transfer of fibrous textile material from the jetting drum or conveyor of a jet scouring machine during a continuous scouring process.

In such scouring processes loose fibrous material is passed to a jetting drum or conveyor where it is treated with a scouring liquor and the treated material is then transferred by a conveyor or transfer roller to the rollers to a squeezing press for the extraction of a high proportion of the liquor retained by the fibrous material.

During this transfer of material from the conveyor or transfer roller to the press rollers difficulty is sometimes experienced in detaching the material from the transfer conveyor at the point of transfer to the press rollers. The cause of this difiiculty, which is especially the case when dealing with very short fibres, is that, due to the high liquor content, some of the material becomes entrapped in the joints of the conveyor, or adheres to the surface of the conveyor, so that unless the fibres so trapped are long enough to be caught between the squeezing rollers and thereby detached from the conveyor, the material becomes wedged between the bottom squeezing roller and the end of the transfer conveyor or is dragged down by the conveyor. As a consequence, the driving roller deflects, creating a. gap between the bottom press roller and the conveyor, thus allowing some of the material to pass through the gap instead of into the nip of the press. Further, in a jet scouring process as described, the material is subject to a high velocity jetting action by scouring liquors prior to passing to the squeezing press. Due to the relatively small area in which the scouring takes place and the relative high speed compared to other conventional scouring processes, at which the material passes through the machine, a high volume of soapy scouring liquor is contained by the material prior to it reaching the squeezing rollers. As it is desirable to permit as much of this excess liquor to drain as possible, the conveyor belt which transports the material between the jetting drum and squeezing rollers is made of an open construction, either from metallic woven wire or woven artificial fibres. Due to this open construction, some of the fibres become flushed into the mesh of the belt and as the belt passes over its driving roller these fibres become trapped, either by the movement of the individual links of the belt, or between the belt and its driving roller.

An" object of the present invention is to provide improved means of transporting fibrous material from a drum or conveyor to the squeezing press rollers.

According to the present invention there is provided apparatus for treating fibrous material comprising the combination of means for applying a treating liquor to the material, permeable conveying means for conveying said material past the treatment station, squeeze means for removing the excess treating liquor from the material, chute means extending between the material treatment and squeezing stations, means for directing a fluid flow through the said conveying means in order to transfer material from the conveying means to the chute means, and liquid supply means for supplying a liquid flow along said chute means in order to convey the fibrous material to the squeezing station.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic side View of one form of apparatus in accordance with the invention,

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary perspective view of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1,

FIG. 3 is a detail view to an enlarged scale of the jet elements and conveyor of FIG. 2,

FIG. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of the apparatus shown in FIG. 2,

FIG. 5 is a diagrammatic side view of a second embodiment,

FIG. 6, is a diagrammatic side view of a third embodiment,

FIG. 7 is a diagrammatic side view of a fourth embodiment.

Referring to FIGS. 1 to 4 of the drawings, apparatus for treating fibrous textile material comprises a pair of press rollers 10, 11 through which fibrous material 12 is passed on to the upper run of a perforated conveyor 13 which is upwardly inclined towards its forward end. At its forward end the conveyor passes over an idler roller 14 and downwardly around a forward drive roller 15 before returning rearwardly over idler rollers 16 and 17.

Mounted above the conveyor 13 are a plurality of jet headers 29 (FIG. 1) of well known construction by which treating liquor is sprayed on to the material as it passes over the conveyor 13. The material on being treated is passed from the conveyor 13 on to an inclined perforated chute 18 which extends downwardly from closely adjacent the drive roller 15 to a pair of squeezing press rollers 19, 20, the roller 20 of which is in driving connection with the drive roller 15 of the conveyor 13 through a belt 21. The rollers 19, 20 are adapted to re-' ceive the treated material from the chute and squeeze the excess liquor therefrom.

As shown best in FIG. 2, a pipe 22 extends transversely of the conveyor 13 between the upper and lower runs thereof. The pipe 22 is provided with a plurality of jets nozzles 23 which are directed towards an area which, in the direction of travel of the conveyor 13,. is slightly after the normal point of transfer of the material from the conveyor to the chute 18. The pipe 22 is connected to a supply of water whose flow is controlled by a manuallyoperable valve 24.

In operation of the apparatus, the material is fed over the conveyor where it is sprayed with treating liquor from the headers, the excess liquor draining through the perforations in the conveyor 13. As the material passes over the forward end of the conveyor 13, the jets of water from the nozzles 23 directed from within the conveyor urge from the conveyor any fibres tending to adhere thereto and the water then flows down the chute 18 and provides a water film on which the fibrous material is carried to the squeezing press rollers 19, 20. The water eventually drains to a reservoir through perforations in the chute 18.

It will be apparent the transporting of material to the nip of a press by means of a stream of liquor flowing down the chute can be applied in other ways. Examples of such alternative embodiments are shown diagrammatically in FIGS. 4 to 7 inclusive.

FIG. shows a jet scouring unit having a jetting drum having mounted therein an adjustably inclined deflector plate 26 extending laterally across the full width of the drum. The material is fed on to the upper surface of the drum via a transfer roller 27 which receives the material from a pair of press rollers 28. On passing over the drum, the material is treated with liquor from jet headers 29 after which the material passes on to the inclined chute 18 through the intermediary of a transfer roller which detaches the material from the drum 25 and feeds it on to the chute 18. The excess liquor from the jet headers 29 passes through the perforations in the drum 25 and is deflected by the deflector plate 26 on to the chute 18 down which it flows as a screen carrying the material with it to the nip of the squeeze rollers 19, 20. Towards the lower end of the chute, perforations are provided to allow the liquor to drain back into a liquor reservoir. By adjustment of the angle of inclination of the deflector plate 26 the amount of liquor flowing down the chute can be controlled.

FIG. 6 shows an embodiment similar to that shown in FIG. 5 except that the jetting drum 25 is replaced by an endless perforated conveyor 30. The press rollers 28 feed the fibrous material on to the upper run of the conveyor 30 which carries the material under the headers 29 before it passes off the forward end of the conveyor 30 on to the inclined chute 1 8. In the same manner as in the apparatus shown in FIG. 5 the excess liquor falls on to the deflector plate 26 extending laterally across the full width of the conveyor and provides a screen or film of liquor which passes from the plate 26 on to the chute 18 to carry the material towards the nip in the press rollers 19, 20.

FIG. 7 illustrates an embodiment in which a jetting drum 25 receives fibrous material from press rollers 28 through the intermediary of a transfer roller 27. The material, as with the embodiment shown in FIG. 5 passes over the jetting drum and under jet headers 29 before passing by means of the transfer roller 30 on to the inclined chute 18. A series of jet nozzles 23 similar to those described in the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 4 extends transversely of the drum and serves to force fibres adhering to the drum surface away from the latter and to provide a screen or film of water on which the fibres are carried to the nip of the rollers 19, 20.

In yet another modification of the invention described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4 or FIG. 7, the jet nozzles 23 can be supplied with air or the like instead of Water and the film of water down the chute 18 can be provided in any suitable alternative manner e.g. by providing water from a separate source directly to the top of the chute. The air blast from the nozzles then clears the drum or conveyor of adhering fibres in the same manner as is effected by the water jets.

In all of the above described embodiments it will be apparent that since in every case a fluid is fed from the interior of the drum or conveyor, any fibres forced into the rest of the drum or conveyor will be washed out by the flush of fluid.

What I claim is:

1. Apparatus for treating fibrous material comprising the combination of means for applying a treating liquor to the material, permeable conveying means for conveying said material past the treatment station, squeeze means for removing the excess treating liquor from the material, chute means extending between the material treatment and squeezing stations, means for directing a fluid flow through the said conveying means in order to transfer material from the conveying means to the chute means, and liquid supply means for supplying a liquid flow along said chute means in order to convey the fibrous material to the squeezing station.

2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, in which the means for supplying the liquid flow along the chute is also the means for directing the fluid flow through the conveying means.

3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, in which the conveying means comprises a drum and said liquid supply means comprises a plurality of nozzles spaced transversely and within said drum, the liquid emanating from said nozzles being directed through said drum on to the chute adjacent the point of transfer of the material to the chute.

4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, in which the conveying means comprises a conveyor and said liquid supply means comprises a plurality of nozzles spaced transversely across and within said conveyor, the liquid emanating from said nozzles being directed through said conveyor on to the chute adjacent the point of transfer of the material to the chute.

5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, in which the conveying means comprises a drum and said liquid supply means comprises a deflector arranged transversely across and within said drum so as to receive excess treating liquor from the treating station and to direct said liquor through said drum on to the chute adjacent the point of transfer of the material to the chute.

6. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, in which the conveying means comprises a conveyor and said liquid supply means comprises a deflector arranged transversely across and within said conveyor so as to receive excess treating liquor from the treating station and to direct said liquor through said conveyor on to the chute adjacent the point of transfer of the material to the chute.

7. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 in which the fluid which is caused to flow through the conveying means is water.

8. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, in Which the fluid which is caused to flow through the conveying means is air.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 263,728 9/1882 Sargent et al 68-158 X 293,789 2/1884 Sargent et al 68-22 1,877,156 9/1932 Behringer 68-22 1,914,599 6/1933 Gratze 68-22 2,406,109 8/1946 Schellenberg 68-158 X 2,418,126 4/1947 Spalding et al 68-62 X 2,724,955 11/ 1955 Spooner 68-205 X 2,803,125 8/1957 Meser 68-62 3,270,532 9/1966 Chaiken et al 68-45 FOREIGN PATENTS 86,908 5/1896 Germany. 639,951 12/ 1936 Germany.

OTHER REFERENCES German printed application 1,032,136 (1958).

WILLIAM I. PRICE, Primary Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 

